Smooth as silk 'transient electronics' dissolve in body or environment

(Tufts University) Tiny, biocompatible electronic devices, encapsulated in silk, dissolve harmlessly into their surroundings after a precise amount of time. These new "transient electronics" promise medical implants that never need surgical removal, as well as environmental monitors and consumer electronics that can become compost rather than trash. The researchers successfully tested a thermal device designed to monitor and prevent post-surgical infection and also created a 64 pixel digital camera.